


I'm tired of being so exhausted

by mycoffeeaddiction



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Betty Cooper Needs a Hug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Jughead Jones, and i miss them already, they are my favourite couple, this is just cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:06:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24171769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mycoffeeaddiction/pseuds/mycoffeeaddiction
Summary: He knows as soon as he sees her that its one of those days.She enters the trailer ready for school, but he knows that there is no way either of them will be going anywhere near school today.The black shadows under her glassy eyes are drowning her, and he just knows that she didn’t sleep at all last night.He takes her hand in his and pulls her towards him.“Why didn’t you call me, Betts?”“When?”“Last night. I would have come over.”
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	I'm tired of being so exhausted

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy. I enjoyed writing this.

He knows as soon as he sees her that its one of those days. 

She enters the trailer ready for school, but he knows that there is no way either of them will be going anywhere near school today.

The black shadows under her glassy eyes are drowning her, and he just knows that she didn’t sleep at all last night.

He takes her hand in his and pulls her towards him.

“Why didn’t you call me, Betts?”

“When?”

“Last night. I would have come over.”

She looks down at her feet and sighs. She knows there is no point in arguing. He would have been over in minutes, she knows that.

“Betts, look at me.” He tilts her chin up to face him as a tear falls down her cheek.

“Hey, whats up?”

She doesn’t say anything, just looks up at him with glassy, emerald eyes and shakes her head softly.

Jughead lets out a soft sigh, but Betty knows that he isn’t frustrated with her. He never is over this. She doesn’t know how he isn’t - she’s frustrated with herself. 

He lets her bag fall to the ground, before leading her into his cramped bedroom in the back of the trailer. He remembers at the beginning of their relationship when he was embarrassed of his childhood home, and admires at how far they’ve come. Betty, of course, was never judgemental, but they never spent much time here. But recently, when Alice has been too much, Betty comes straight here, knowing that she feels safe in Jughead’s bed, wrapped up in his arms.

They don’t change, just get straight into the single bed. Jughead turns her around to face him, pulling her golden ponytail out of the band, and running his hand through it, before wrapping both of his arms around her, to pull her as close as possible.

He doesn’t know how long they lie there like that, her clinging to him, until he feels small water droplets on his arms, and he realises that she’s crying.

“Betts, it’s gonna be okay. I promise.”

After another moment of quiet sniffles, Jughead speaks again.

“Come on Betts, talk to me please. Is it your mom again? Because you know you can stay here whenever.”

“It’s not even her this time, Jug” Betty manages to get out.

She takes a deep breath before continuing on.

“I don’t know whats wrong, Jug. I feel so stupid. I was completely fine yesterday at school, but when I got home, it was like a switch had gone off inside me, and, I don’t know. I just kept getting flashbacks to that night, and I couldn’t get out of bed. I was paralysed, not necessarily in fear, just with the reminder of that night. And everything that goes along with it. I’d been doing so much better so it was a shock to the system to suddenly be thinking of it again.”

“Betty, when I rang, you sounded fine. You said you were. You should have said something.”

“I didn’t want to worry you, Jug. You worry about me enough as it is.”

“Betty, you need to tell me when you feel like this. I don’t want you hurting like that on your own. I should have been there, even just to hold you.”

“You’re here now, Jug. That’s enough. Don’t beat yourself up about it, it’s not your fault. You didn’t know.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

“It just - It feels like the world is closing in on me, and then I can’t breathe and all these images are flashing through my mind. All the what if’s and-“

“Betts, you know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“It’s not my safety I’m worried about, Jug. Its yours, and Veronica’s, and Archie’s and Kevin’s-“

He can feel her getting herself worked up again, and the last thing he wants is for her to have another panic attack.

“Calm down, Betts. It’s okay, we’re all okay. Take some deep breaths.”

They’re both silent in each other’s company for a while before Betty breaks the silence.

“And after that, well. I’m just numb. I can’t move, I can’t eat, hell, I can barely drag myself out of bed to go to the bathroom. It feels like it did just after it happened.”

He doesn’t say anything else. There’s nothing to say. He just wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer, kissing her forehead.

She finally drifts off to sleep, fitful though it is. Jughead lays and watches her, acknowledging how lucky he is to have such a selfless and kind girlfriend. 

He knows its not going to be over anytime soon, ptsd doesn’t work like that. This is something she will deal with for a long time, maybe even the rest of her life. The thought terrifies him a little but he knows that he will be at her side no matter what.

************

Later, when Betty has woken up again, Jughead sits up in bed and pulls her with him.

“Betts, I want to talk to you about something, and I just want you to know, before I say anything, that this is your choice and merely a suggestion on my part.”

“Okay, Jug. I’m listening.”

“Well I’ve been reading a bit into what you’ve been dealing with ever since ‘that night’, and I obviously don’t want to diagnose you as I am in no way a psychiatrist, but I think you may be suffering from ptsd.”

Betty gulps before replying, “I’ve also looked into that, Jug, as I’ve suspected myself. I just don’t know what to do, I don’t want to feel like this forever.”

“And you won’t. I think the best way for you to begin to deal with it is to go and see a therapist. I think talking it out with somebody who wasn’t there with you could be a good help for you, Betty. Of course, this is only if you feel comfortable, I don’t want to force you into anything you don’t want to do.”

“I know, Jug. And, I have thought about it, seeing a therapist, and I think you’re right. I feel bad for ranting at you all the time, because I know you are still processing it too.”

“Did Betty Cooper just admit that I was right?”

“Don’t push you luck there, Jones.”

He scoops her into his arms and sits her on his lap. “Seriously though, Betts, I am really proud of you. You’re so strong, and have come so far already. And you never need to feel bad for ranting at me. I like knowing that you come to me to vent.”

“How did I get so lucky?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that. I’m dating Betty freaking Cooper.”

“I love you Jughead Jones.”

“I love you so much, Betty. You have no idea.”


End file.
